A fitting end to the league season as Selby welcomed back the same opponents who opened it on that first Saturday in September — Malton & Norton returning to Sandhill Lane for what proved to be a thoroughly entertaining afternoon.

It was Sponsors Day at the club, and the committee were delighted to see so many familiar faces through the gate. Pete Foster, ever-present in his usual post, was particularly pleased that so many supporters chose to make a voluntary contribution when they were under no obligation to do so. The same generosity of spirit was not, it must be said, shared by the visiting club's press representative, who took rather a dim view of being asked to pay for entry.

Both sides came out of the blocks quickly, jostling for territory and possession in an energetic opening before Malton & Norton drew first blood with a converted try. Selby's response, however, was immediate.

Alex Dolat — who has grown considerably in stature and settled impressively into the side since his league debut back in September — made ground down the right. Antun Wilson carried infield, drawing in defenders before offloading to Harry Tunningley, who crashed over. Charlie Bramley converted and the scores were level.

Playing with the wind at their backs, Malton made good use of the conditions, putting right winger Fothergill over in the corner, with the assistance of the breeze enabling what would otherwise have been a very difficult conversion.

Selby then suffered a moment of misfortune. Attacking the try line at the railway end, the ball sat up invitingly on the line. Malton made it safe, but Joe Scholefield put in what many considered a textbook tackle, taking man and ball over the line together. The referee saw it rather differently, and Scholefield was shown a yellow card.

Selby responded with characteristic determination, the forwards leading the way. Second rows Dolat and Campbell combined to make significant inroads before prop Joey Reid was on hand to burrow over from close range.

Selby then came under pressure at the scrum, and when the penalty was taken quickly, Malton stretched the defence wide to touch down in the corner. James Robinson was adjudged to have deliberately knocked on during the move and joined Scholefield in taking ten minutes on the sidelines.

With the last play of the first half, Selby levelled at 19–19. Tunningley produced one of his now-familiar bullocking runs before releasing Charlie Bramley, who touched down and then converted to send the teams in level at the break.

With the wind advantage now in their favour, Selby came out for the second half with real intent, launching a double strike immediately from the restart — and both tries came from the centres. First, the ball sat up nicely for James Bramley to score. Then, in what was almost poetic timing, Scholefield's very first touch on his return from the sin bin saw him also go over the line. Charlie Bramley converted both, and Selby had scored three tries in the space of five minutes to turn the game entirely on its head.

The Swans continued to press, and the afternoon's individual moment of the match arrived courtesy of Harry Clarke. From halfway, he spotted a gap and darted through in the manner all scrum-halves dream of — a mazy, jinking run carrying him to just short of the line, where Antun Wilson was on hand for the simplest of finishes under the posts.

Malton did score again, following another deliberate knock-on — the unfortunate Scholefield this time seeing his yellow card upgraded to red. A Malton & Norton player then received a yellow shortly afterwards for what appeared to be a disagreement with a spectator. The game closed with a final appearance from the bench for veteran Andrew Tunningley, and a comfortable 40–26 victory for Selby.

The RFU's much-debated play-off system now sees Selby travel to Pocklington next week for a semi-final. The winners will then face the victors of the Old Brodleians versus Morley tie the following week.

On the adjacent pitch, the second teams also went head to head, with Malton & Norton gaining some revenge for their earlier defeat in the season, winning 31–17. They finish top of the East Championship, with Selby taking second place.

The club would like to extend its sincere thanks to all sponsors for their continued support — many of whom return year after year, and whose generosity makes days like this possible.